There’s a Good Chance You Haven’t Even Heard About Hayao Miyazaki’s Next Film
Hayao Miyazaki’s next film How Do You Live won’t even get a single trailer before it’s July 14th. release. And this is on purpose.
The next, and possibly last, Hayao Miyazaki fail is scheduled for release in just a little over a month on July 14th. But there’s a good chance you’ve heard almost nothing about this movie. Apparently, that is on purpose.
How Do You Live?
Miyazaki is known for his intensely popular, memorable, and beautifully animated films. Many of them were made by Studio Ghibli. In fact, Ghibli and Miyazaki are practically synonymous and it’s hard to think of My Neighbors Totoro or Princess Mononoke without also thinking of both names.
Being attached to such a well-known and beloved studio, many of Miyazaki’s films are often very promoted for months if not years before their release. For example, 2001’s Oscar Winning Spirited Away saw multiple trailers leading up to the film’s release. Its press train ensured that we couldn’t not know it was on its way. And in the end, it worked, we all saw the movie, and it took home the Best Animated Feature award.
Miyazaki’s next movie though is How Do You Live? And there hasn’t been any press. If you know that this movie is on its way, that’s likely only because you follow anime news to some extent. But the film has enjoyed no press, no pomp and circumstance, and not even a single trailer.
Done With the Marketing Cycle
According to Studio Ghibli producer, Toshio Suzuki, the silence has been intentional. He said in an interview with Bungeishunjū Magazine that he and Miyazaki were both done with the marketing cycle. It was implied that neither have the energy for it anymore or would rather spend their energy on other endeavors.
“You get tired of doing the same thing over and over. We wanted to try something new this time.” – Toshio Suzuki
He instead insisted that an interested potential audience member would see the movie regardless. And that sometimes recent trailers have been known to reveal major spoilers of the movies they are meant to hype. Instead, it seems that both Suzuki and Miyazaki are relying on the good names of themselves and Studio Ghibli to convince people to come to the theater.
Unfortunately, trailers also often give us hints as to what the movie might be about. Without that, we are forced to rely on an official plot summary from the studio… But that is another piece of information that they haven’t released. So at this time, we have no idea what How Do You Live? is about or even who has been cast in it. Some Miyazaki films are based on books, but this one will feature an original story.
All that we have gotten are two minimally helpful posters.
Will you see the upcoming Miyazaki film How Do You Live? in theaters? Do you think the lack of press and trailers will have an effect on the movie’s popularity or viewership? What is your favorite Studio Ghibli or Miyazaki movie to date? Let us know in the comments!
Ja ne, adventurers!
